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The topic of the "Money" program on Euronews Albania this Saturday was the lawsuits of the Albanian government at the Arbitration Court.
The International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes in Washington has listed 11 cases in its database, of which 8 have been closed and 3 are still in the trial process.
Kurum Company is suing for the termination of the container terminal contract at the port of Durres; EMS Shipping, which manages the eastern part of the commercial port, argues that its activity is being harmed by the project presented for transformation, and the case for the construction of a cement terminal by Xenofon Karagiannis, frozen since 2016.
If the claims of investors deposited in this center are deemed valid and ruled in their favor, the financial damage bill will be further increased, likely 3 or 4 times higher compared to the current debt. Therefore, it may reach up to half a billion euros.
Former Attorney General Ledina Mandia declared to Money: "It seems that the debate is focused on an issue that is the Becheti case, but it is not an isolated issue. The issue of behavior towards investors is in its daily life with various behavior of governance, so when the state fails to produce good contracts, in actions that are abusive and not in accordance with the law; when aggressive behavior unsupported by law appears from leaders of Albanian institutions, or improper performance, investors are required to find solutions by addressing their issues in various forums, judicial or international arbitration forums."
Meanwhile, Fatos Lazmi, former member of the Arbitration Court in Paris, declared: "We will prepare for a difficult season. The Albanian state has two options. It must make a very serious defense to test the chances of success, or consider resolving the dispute with goodwill, by offering something from itself and conditioning the other party to waive the large sum."